WO2006092767A1 - Zero power standby mode monitor - Google Patents
Zero power standby mode monitor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2006092767A1 WO2006092767A1 PCT/IB2006/050638 IB2006050638W WO2006092767A1 WO 2006092767 A1 WO2006092767 A1 WO 2006092767A1 IB 2006050638 W IB2006050638 W IB 2006050638W WO 2006092767 A1 WO2006092767 A1 WO 2006092767A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- electrical device
- impedance
- voltage
- electrical
- discriminator
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
- H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
- H03K17/96—Touch switches
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R27/00—Arrangements for measuring resistance, reactance, impedance, or electric characteristics derived therefrom
- G01R27/02—Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant
- G01R27/16—Measuring impedance of element or network through which a current is passing from another source, e.g. cable, power line
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
- A61B5/25—Bioelectric electrodes therefor
- A61B5/276—Protection against electrode failure
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
- A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
- A61F13/42—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators with wetness indicator or alarm
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
- H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
- H03K17/96—Touch switches
- H03K17/9645—Resistive touch switches
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R2460/00—Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R2460/03—Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/30—Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
- H04R25/305—Self-monitoring or self-testing
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to an electrical device having an impedance detector for the manipulation and/or control of the electric device.
- the electrical device has an impedance detector, comprising a path from a supply voltage to a second voltage.
- the path comprises segments having electrical impedances, at least one of which is to be ascertained, and a measuring vertex.
- the impedance detector further comprises a discriminator connected to the measuring vertex, arranged to evaluate an electrical measuring signal observed at the measuring vertex, and situated in a path between a further supply voltage and a third voltage, whereby the discriminator draws no significant current from the supply voltage if the to be ascertained impedance remains above a threshold value.
- the measuring signal could be an electrical voltage.
- the to be ascertained impedance is part of an electric path from a supply voltage to a second voltage.
- the to be ascertained impedance is situated in a segment of the path.
- the segments may be connected in series to form the path, so that none of the segments may have too high an impedance, if an electric current is to flow from supply voltage to second voltage.
- the segments of the path besides the one comprising the to be ascertained impedance may be any electrical component, such as other impedances, non- linear components, direct connections, etc. If the electrical impedance between the two input electrodes is very high, a standby mode is assumed.
- an impedance smaller than a certain maximal impedance is present between the two electrodes, an operating mode is assumed.
- a transition between the two enumerated cases causes the measuring signal, such as a voltage, at a measuring vertex to change.
- the discriminator evaluates the state of the measuring signal and conditions the measuring signal for further processing.
- an impedance may also be a complex resistance, such as a capacitor or an inductor. In order to quantify an impedance, the magnitude of the impedance at a certain operating frequency may be used.
- the electrical impedance detector is particularly suited for integration with battery-powered devices, since it presents a low power consumption during standby mode.
- the electrical impedance detector according to the present invention is in standby mode, the connection between the two input ports presents an electrical impedance that is very high. Hence, practically no current flows from the supply voltage to the second voltage.
- the impedance may be a conductivity.
- An electrical current can flow across the impedance/conductivity.
- Impedance and conductivity may designate the same physical component, such as a resistor.
- the discriminator draws a current of less than 10OnA, preferably less than InA, from said supply voltage if the to be ascertained impedance remains above a threshold value. This is much lower than the self-discharge current of a battery.
- the self-discharge current of a battery depends on the battery type and the charge status; a typical value would be lO ⁇ A for a Lithium battery 24h after charging.
- the leakage current of the impedance detector depends on the transistor type and the temperature.
- the supply voltage and/or the second voltage may be a DC voltage or an AC voltage. Depending on the application and the power supply at hand, either a DC voltage or an AC voltage may be used. An AC supply voltage may be used in order to have the circuit operating at a certain frequency at which the circuit works in an optimal manner. In battery- powered applications, a DC voltage is likely to be used.
- the further supply voltage may be the same as the supply voltage.
- the third voltage may be the same as the second voltage.
- the electrical device further has a reference potential and the measuring voltage is evaluated relative to the reference potential.
- a reference potential allows determining any voltage within the circuit as a difference of the electric potential.
- the discriminator comprises a switch.
- a switch allows producing an output signal having a finite number of states, typically two. In the context of the impedance detector, a decision needs to be made, whether the impedance is very high or relatively low. The switch may be held in a non-conducting state if the to be ascertained impedance remains above a threshold value. The impedance being above a threshold value could indicate that no impedance, such as a sensor, is connected to the impedance detector. Another reason could be that the sensor is defective or that the sensor input is below a certain threshold. Placing the switch in a non-conducting state saves energy, since no current can flow across the switch.
- the threshold value is adjustable. This assures greater flexibility for a large range of applications.
- the threshold may for example depend on the number and type of electrodes, or the type of sensor used, the kind of measurement performed, and the like.
- the electrical device may be arranged to relay a bipolar signal generated within the segment comprising the to be ascertained impedance.
- a bipolar signal generated within the segment comprising the to be ascertained impedance.
- an electric signal produced by the body of a patient e.g. electrocardiogram
- Another example may be an acoustic signal.
- This signal may be bipolar.
- a bipolar signal may change its sign, i.e. it may become negative. Since also the negative sections of the signal may be of interest, care must be taken not to cut off those sections.
- the ability of relaying a bipolar signal may also be of interest in applications, where the user has to connect a sensor to the input ports by himself or has to place electrodes in a particular manner.
- the impedance detector must not be disturbed by the signal to be relayed or measured. It is mentioned that in an electrocardiography application the signal presents a voltage between approximately ImV and 3mV.
- the impedance detector could be used to detect the presence or absence of a sensor, such as a microphone.
- the electrical device further comprises two input ports, arranged to be respectively connected to the ends of the segment of the to be ascertained impedance; a pull-up impedance or a pull-down impedance between one of the two input ports and the supply voltage or the second voltage, respectively.
- an impedance is provided between one of the two input ports and the supply voltage, thus acting as pull-up impedance. If no current is flowing through the pull-up impedance, the first input port is pulled up to the potential of the supply voltage by the action of the pull-up impedance (unless it is an open circuit). In other words, no voltage drop exists across the pull-up impedance. In a similar manner, the second input port would be pulled down to the circuit ground voltage by the action of the pull-down impedance so that no voltage drop exists across the pull-down impedance, either.
- the electrical impedance detector being in standby mode means that no measurement signal is present at the two input ports, which in turn means that the two input ports can be pulled up or pulled down to the supply voltage or the circuit ground voltage, respectively.
- the two input ports In operating mode, on the other hand, the two input ports must be able to assume whichever electrical potential is defined by the signals that are applied to the input ports. Since in operating mode an electrical conductivity different from zero is present between the two input ports, a current can flow through the pull-up impedance (if present), the electrical conductivity between the two input ports, and the pull-down impedance (if present) from the supply voltage to the circuit ground voltage. This current causes voltage drops across the pull-up and/or pull-down impedances, which are detectable by the discriminator.
- the discriminator has a comparator-like characteristic, that is, it has two principal states (e.g. high and low), and changes from one state to the other, if a signal at the discriminator's input becomes greater than a predefined threshold or vice versa.
- the output stage connected to the discriminator may further condition the output signal and adapt it to the requirements of any equipment that is hooked to the electrical impedance detector in order to derive its own standby mode and operating mode, for example.
- the pull-up impedance (if present), the impedance between the two input ports, and the pull-down impedance (if present) are all connected in series.
- the voltage divider is capable of providing two intermediate voltages at the first and the second input port, respectively.
- the pull-up or pull-down impedance may be one or a plurality of resistors, one or a plurality of capacitors, one or a plurality of inductors, one or a plurality of diodes, one or a plurality of Zener diodes, one or a plurality of transistors, or combinations thereof.
- the circuit may be designed using the above mentioned components.
- the use of capacitors and/or inductors may filter out undesired frequencies.
- the switch and the pull-up and/or pull-down impedance(s) may be diodes. Diodes are easier to fabricate than transistors in large area electronics, making this embodiment potentially lower cost.
- the electrical device further comprises one or a plurality of additional paths from respective supply voltages to respective second voltages, each of the additional paths comprising segments having electrical impedances, at least one of which is to be ascertained. It further comprises two input ports for each of the to be ascertained impedances, arranged to be respectively connected to the ends of the segment of the to be ascertained impedance.
- Such an arrangement may be used if several electrode pairs are subject to supervision with respect to a lead-off condition. The different electrode pairs may be combined using a logical "AND" (electrical device operates only if all electrode pairs are properly connected) or a logical "OR” (electrical device operates if one of the electrode pairs is properly connected).
- the electrical device may further comprise an output stage connected to the discriminator and delivering an output voltage or a current in response to the state of the discriminator thus being indicative for the detected electrical impedance.
- the discriminator is responsive to a voltage drop across at least one of the pull-up or pull-down impedances by adopting one of a plurality of states representative of a magnitude of the voltage drop.
- the output stage connected to the discriminator may condition the output signal and adapt it to the requirements of any equipment that is hooked to the electrical impedance detector in order to derive its own standby mode and operating mode, for example.
- the discriminator and/or output stage of the impedance detector draws no significant current from the supply voltage or the further supply voltage, if the voltage drop is under a threshold value, and the discriminator and/or output stage draws current from the supply voltage or further supply voltage, if the voltage drop exceeds the threshold value. If the voltage drop across the pull-up impedance and/or the pulldown impedance is under the threshold value, then the standby mode is assumed to be active. In this case the discriminator and/or the output stage draws no or only a negligible current from the supply voltage.
- the power supply provides the difference of potential between the supply voltage and the circuit ground voltage. In operating mode the discriminator and/or the output stage is allowed to draw current from the supply voltage.
- the discriminator may comprise a first stage and a second stage.
- a discriminator having two stages may have a steeper input-output-characteristic, thereby eliminating unwanted intermediate states of the discriminator. If the discriminator makes use of e.g. saturation effects of certain components, the first stage may not yet be saturated, but assists the second stage in saturating.
- the first stage comprises switching means. Provision of switching means offers the possibility to change between two states of the discriminator without passing through unwanted intermediate states. Intermediate states are usually unfavorable in terms of power consumption of an electrical circuit. Since in the present case one is interested in distinguishing between a standby mode and an operating mode, switching means responding to a condition at the input of the discriminator provide for this functionality.
- a control input of the first stage switching means is coupled to one of the two input ports. The potential at the control input of the first stage switching means therefore follows the potential of the respective input port. In the case of the first control input this means that its potential is pulled up to supply voltage during standby mode caused by the interaction of the pull-up impedance and the missing electrical conductivity between the two input ports. Similar considerations can be made for the second input port and the pull-down impedance.
- a control input of the first stage switching means is coupled to one of the two input ports via a low-pass filter.
- This low-pass filter prevents the discriminator from changing from one state to the other at random in a noisy environment.
- the switching means may be selected from a group comprising bipolar transistors and MOSFET transistors, thin film transistors, diodes, and MIM (metal- insulator- metal) diodes.
- MOSFET transistors are controlled by means of a voltage instead of a current.
- Bipolar transistors on the other hand, require a lower threshold voltage. Especially if the supply voltage is rather low, bipolar transistors may be used in the first stage for the proper operation of the circuit instead of MOSFET transistors.
- Using a transistor or transistors as active components (as switch or other function) in a device may render the inventive device cost-effective and still relatively small because it is possible to realize transistors on very small surface areas of, e.g., a glass substrate.
- An alternative is to use a thin film transistor as the transistor or as the transistors of the active component of the device. This renders the device more cost-effective and it is possible to use lighter materials or flexible materials such as plastic or metal foils.
- the active element comprises a diode.
- the active element may also comprise a non- linear resistance element, specifically a metal- insulator-metal (MIM) diode.
- MIM diode or MIM diodes as active components in an inventive device renders the inventive device even more cost- effective and still relatively small because it is possible to realize MIM diodes on very small surface areas of, e.g., a glass substrate in a technology which is lower cost than a transistor based technology.
- the transistors are of only one polarity. This makes the circuit easier to manufacture in large area electronics.
- the output stage may comprise a transistor and an output impedance, the output voltage being tapped at the output impedance.
- the transistor of the output stage is controlled by the discriminator and consequently determines if a current can flow through the output impedance, which is connected in series to the output transistor.
- the on- impedance of the output transistor is relatively low compared to the output impedance (in the form of a resistor), it can be expected that a large part of the supply voltage is present across the output resistor. This means that any equipment connected to the output stage can be supplied with an unambiguous output signal indicating either standby mode or operating mode.
- the electrical device may further comprise materials from the group of low temperature polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, nanocrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, or other semiconducting material such as cadmium selenide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, or organic semiconductors.
- the thin film transistor may be fabricated from any of the well known active matrix technologies as known from manufacturing of active matrix liquid crystal displays and other active matrix displays. These technologies include the amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology, low temperature poly silicon technology (LTPS), nanocrystalline Si technology, microcrystalline Si technology, CdSe (cadmium selenide) technology, SnO (tin oxide) technology, polymer or organic semiconductor based technology etc. In some cases only transistors of one polarity are available (e.g. a-Si provides only n-type transistors), whilst in other cases transistors of both polarity are available (e.g. LTPS provides n-type and p-type transistors). However both types in one device is more expensive.
- diode active matrix arrays (as have been used for e.g. active matrix LCDs) can be driven in several known ways, one of which is the double diode with reset (D2R) approach, see K.E. Kuijk, Proceedings of the 10th International Display Research Conference (1990, Amsterdam), pi 74. which is incorporated herein by reference.
- D2R double diode with reset
- a PIN (or Schottky-IN) diode can be formed using a simple 3-layer process.
- MIM diode Whilst offering somewhat less flexibility than using TFTs, it is also possible to realize the device using the technologically less demanding metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diode technology.
- MIM diode can be introduced as a non- linear resistance element.
- the MIM device (or MIM-Diode) is created by separating two metal layers by a thin insulating layer (examples are hydrogenated silicon nitride sandwiched between Cr or Mo metals, or Ta2O5 insulator between Ta metal electrodes, see e.g. A. G. Knapp and R.A. Hartman, Proc 14th Int Display Research Conf (1994) p. 14 as well as S. Aomori et al, SID 01 Digest (2001) p. 558. These disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.), and is conveniently realized in the form of a cross-over structure. Both metal layers and also the insulating layer are realized on the same substrate.
- the electrical device is battery-powered.
- the electrical device is independent from the availability of a power grid. Actually in those cases, in which the electrical device is intended to be worn or carried over a longer period of time, power should not be unnecessarily wasted.
- the electrical device may further comprise an additional power supply.
- This additional power supply may be a battery, a DC/DC converter, a charge pump or something similar.
- the additional power supply is for example used during operational mode, but not during stand-by mode. Since the impedance detector can be designed to work with low supply voltages, it is not necessary to use the additional power supply during the stand-by mode. During operational mode the additional power supply may be used to power up those devices that are activated by the impedance detector.
- the additional power supply powers a data processing device. This is useful in those cases where the data processing device requires a certain power supply, such as a sufficiently high supply voltage.
- the data processing device may be arranged to be turned off by the switch of the discriminator.
- the electrical impedance detector provides an automatic-on function for the device. This eliminates the need for a dedicated on/off switch. Furthermore, the device is also easier to use.
- the electrical impedance detector senses the conductivity defined by the human body and turns on the electrical device. Since it is triggered by someone's skin getting in contact with two electrodes, it would be especially useful in devices that somebody holds in his hand while using them (mobile phone, remote control), stands with naked feet on them while using them (weight scales), or the like.
- the electrical device further comprises a transducer for converting a non-electrical signal to an electrical signal that is connectable to the input ports.
- the non-electrical signal may be an acoustic signal, optical signal, signal relating to a temperature, pressure, magnetic field, radiation or the like.
- the transducer is arranged to vary its impedance when receiving the non-electrical signal.
- the transducer could be an active, i.e. an amplifying element (such as a diode or a transistor) or a passive element (such as a resistor).
- the change of the transducer's impedance is then detected by the impedance detector, which causes the electric device to pass from standby mode to operating mode.
- a threshold of the nonelectrical signal's strength defines when the device passes from standby mode to operating mode and vice versa. It may also be envisioned that only the activation of the device is caused by the impedance detector.
- the deactivation of the device is then caused by a data processing device that is part of the electrical device or connected thereto. After the non- electrical signal has been silent for a certain period of time, the data processing device decides to switch the entire electrical device to standby mode. The electrical device remains in standby mode until the non-electrical signal is getting stronger again.
- said transducer is selected from the group of microphone, capacitive detector, capacitor with a single or multiple plate, piezo-electric element, temperature element (resistor, diode, transistor etc.), magneto-resistive element, photo sensor (including photo diode, photo transistor, photo resistor, CCD etc.), pressure sensor, chemical or bio sensors.
- the electrical device comprises a plurality of the electrical impedance detectors.
- a device could be used to implement control elements that are controlled by the user in the described manner by closing an electrical circuit via his or her body or parts thereof.
- the device could for example be used in a remote control for consumer electronics or in mobile telephones. This avoids mechanical switches, so that the device could be easily sealed and/or feature a unique, rugged, and/or smooth design.
- the plurality of electrical impedance detectors could be connected to a keypad, so that the user can enter a numerical or alphanumerical code by successively touching different contact areas, each contact area corresponding to a particular key and connected to one out of the plurality of electrical impedance detectors.
- the housing of the device would then be metallic or comprise a number of metallic inlays, representing the first electrode.
- the keypad On top of the housing some area for the keypad would be insulating, with the keys being small metallic surfaces located inside the insulating area.
- the keypads of mobile phones or remote controls could be realized this way, thereby rendering them insensitive to dirt.
- a tactile controlled headphone application for MP3 player and hand free telephone could employ such functionality.
- a simple device may be a torch that lights up as soon as somebody holds it in his hand.
- the electrical device or the impedance detector is considered as a sensor for the presence of electrically conductive material on the device's surroundings, then another variety of applications can be identified. This is especially relevant for applications where the device is typically stored over a long period of time before being used (long shelf- lifetime).
- An example for this category of devices are diapers which issue an alarm as soon as they are filled.
- disposable (electric) devices are very suitable for the circuit according to the invention.
- Another example could be e-pills (electronic pills) that become active at the moment they are swallowed. The same applies to some bio-tests, such as glucose tests or pregnancy tests.
- Those devices typically comprise a display and some detectors and processing means. It would be very handy if one does not need to switch such a device on.
- a water sensor unit is envisioned, which comes in a small hermetically sealed package.
- the sensor unit would comprise the circuitry of the proposed electrical device or impedance detector as the sensor, with the electrodes smoothly integrated into the package surface, furthermore a battery with a long shelf- lifetime and finally a link to the outside world in order to issue an alarm signal in case of water detection, preferably some kind of wireless link.
- These sensors would be buried in walls of buildings, dikes, etc. so as to get an early alarm if water is silently penetrating the structure. When the water retreats again, the sensor units will eventually cease sending out alarm signals, thereby enabling an estimation of the buildings security.
- the water sensor units could also be used to observe the curing process of concrete in newly erected walls and buildings.
- a water sensor could also serve as a rain sensor for car windscreen wipers, or as a wet road sensor on the underside or the wheel arch of the car.
- a magnetic sensor such as a magneto-resistive sensor
- use in an antilock brake system, in an electronic compass, and in a magnetic biosensor may be cited.
- electrical signals other types of signals could be used as an input.
- a microphone or the like transforming e.g. an acoustical signal into an impedance.
- Applications for this comprise baby phones, hearing aids (also turn on when the sound is over a threshold), noise cancellation devices, ear speaker, remote sensing / e.g. noise pollution.
- Optical signals are another possible field of application, e.g. in the sensing unit of a remote control. For many devices, such as televisions, hi-fi units, this would create a potential for saving energy, especially if the standby mode could be zero power.
- the invention in a device for sensing tactile input, also via capacitive coupling. Accordingly, the electrodes of the circuit do not have to be touched directly.
- Such a technology could be used in touch screens, fingerprint sensors, and even car steering wheels in connection with a fatigue sensor.
- the electrical device may further comprise additional input ports.
- the results as to whether an impedance between a pair of two arbitrary input ports exceeds the threshold value, are combined by a logical combination.
- the logical combination may be an AND operation, an OR operation, an XOR operation or another logical operation.
- the AND operation may be used if all input ports must be connected properly in order to obtain a meaningful signal.
- the electrical device may further comprise additional input ports, wherein a cyclic measurement is performed by cycling the pairing of two input ports. This allows the electrical device to search for the best signal, which may be present between two arbitrary electrodes. If two or more impedance detectors and data processing devices are provided, one impedance detector may be used to constantly look for a good (e.g. strong) signal, while the other impedance detector performs the actual data acquisition. The roles of both may change, once it has been found that a better (e.g. stronger) signal than the one currently acquired is available.
- the device may be arranged to seek a pairing of two input ports presenting a signal which is the best according to a defined quality measure. This may be done in a cyclic manner, at random or based on a specific pattern. For example, the pattern could memorize which input ports presented good (e.g. strong) signals in the (near) past, focusing the search on these input ports. "Good”, “better” and “best” signal in this context mean “good”, “better” and “best” according to a defined quality measure (signal amplitude, signal-to-noise ratio, etc.).
- a defined quality measure signal amplitude, signal-to-noise ratio, etc.
- a further embodiment relates to an impedance detector to be used in an electrical device as previously described.
- the impedance detector is connectable to at least one vertex situated at an extremity of the segment comprising the to be ascertained impedance.
- the impedance detector may be provided as an add-on for existing electrical devices.
- Fig. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the basic structure of an electrical impedance detector according to the present invention.
- Fig. 2 A is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector in accordance with the present invention, employing MOSFET transistors as switching elements.
- Fig. 2B is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector according to the present invention employing bipolar transistors in the first discriminator stage and MOSFET transistors elsewhere as switching elements.
- Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector according to one embodiment of the present invention having a reduced number of components.
- Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N- MOSFET and two diodes.
- Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN- bipolar transistor and two diodes.
- Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P-
- Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP- bipolar transistor and two diodes.
- Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N- MOSFET and a zener diode.
- Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN bipolar transistor and a zener diode.
- Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P- MOSFET and a zener diode.
- Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP bipolar transistor and a zener diode.
- Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N- MOSFET and a zener diode plus a normal diode.
- Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN bipolar transistor and a zener diode plus a normal diode.
- Fig. 14 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P- MOSFET and a zener diode plus a normal diode.
- Fig. 15 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP bipolar transistor and a zener diode plus a normal diode.
- Fig. 16 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with single n- type transistor discriminator.
- Fig. 17 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with single p- type transistor discriminator.
- Fig. 18 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with discriminator having a single n-type transistor and a diode in reverse direction as pull-up.
- Fig. 19 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with discriminator having one of its input ports connected to the supply voltage.
- Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with discriminator having one of its input ports connected to the ground voltage.
- Fig. 21 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using diodes and field effect transistors instead of resistors.
- Fig. 21 A is a detail of Fig. 21 showing an alternative for the pull-down diode.
- Fig. 22 is a circuit diagram of a variant of the simplified electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 21.
- Fig. 23 is a circuit diagram of the simplified electrical impedance detector similar to Fig. 16 wherein a consumer is directly powered.
- Fig. 24 is a circuit diagram of an arrangement of two electrical impedance detectors shown in Fig. 16 in order to implement an AND combination.
- Fig. 25 is a circuit diagram similar to the one of Fig. 24 with non inverted output signal.
- Fig. 26 is a circuit diagram similar to the one of Fig. 24 supporting multiple inputs.
- Fig. 27 is a circuit diagram of an arrangement of two electrical impedance detectors shown in Fig. 16 in order to implement an OR combination.
- Fig. 28 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector supporting multiple electrode input.
- Fig. 29 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector enhanced with multiple-input circuit for arbitrary connection of input sensor pads.
- Fig. 30 shows the arrangement of Fig. 29 enhanced with a second electrical impedance detector.
- Fig. 31 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using field effect transistors.
- Fig. 32 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using field effect transistors tuneable by external voltage.
- Fig. 33 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting an definable threshold.
- Fig. 34 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting an adjustable threshold.
- Fig. 35 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting a variable threshold.
- Fig. 36 is a variant of the electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 35.
- Fig. 37 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using only diodes and capacitors.
- Fig. 38 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using a single diode and capacitor.
- Fig. 39 shows a modification of the electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 3.
- Fig. 40 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector employing a second battery and a NPN-bipolar transistor.
- Fig. 41 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector employing a second battery and an N-MOSFET transistor.
- Fig. 42 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector employing a second battery and a PNP-bipolar transistor.
- Fig. 43 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector employing a second battery and a P-MOSFET transistor.
- Fig. 1 shows the basic structure of an impedance detector in a schematic way.
- three segments of a path from the supply voltage + " VW to the second voltage V 2 are shown.
- Each segment comprises a two terminal network 31 , 20, and 32, respectively.
- the arrangement of networks 31, 20, and 32 may be regarded as a voltage divider. This is also the case if the networks 31, 20, and 32 are conductivities or resistances.
- the two terminal network 20 in the middle is to be tested or ascertained, e.g. with respect to its impedance. In many applications, the to be ascertained two terminal network 20 changes its state during the operation of the impedance detector.
- Discriminator 50 is connected to a further supply voltage +V bat 2 and a third voltage V 3 . It comprises a switch 51 that is responsive to the potential of the vertex between the two networks 20 and 32. Closing switch 51 causes a current to flow from the further supply voltage +V bat 2 to the third voltage V 3 . This current may be used to drive or supply e.g. an external unit (not shown).
- a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector 100 The electrical impedance to be detected is electrically located between a first input port 121 (E 1 ) and a second input port 122 (E 2 ).
- the electrical impedance detector 100 is supplied by a supply voltage (+V bat ), which may be provided by a battery. It has also a circuit ground voltage (OV).
- V bat supply voltage
- OV circuit ground voltage
- One of the essential parts of the electrical impedance detector 100 is the discriminator, which has two stages in the represented case. The first stage of the discriminator is designed around two MOSFET transistors 151 and 152. In a known manner, the drain-source resistance of a MOSFET transistor is controlled by the gate-source voltage of the same transistor.
- the second stage of the discriminator comprises MOSFET transistor 163 (M 4 ) and corresponding pull-up resistor 161 (R 5 ), and MOSFET transistor 164 (M 3 ) and corresponding pull-down resistor 162 (R 6 ).
- the output stage of the electrical impedance detector 100 comprises MOSFET transistor 172 (M 5 ), corresponding pull-up resistor 171 (R 7 ), output resistor 173 (R 8 ), and output port 174. Between output port 174 and the circuit ground voltage an output voltage can be tapped representing presence or absence of an electrical conductivity between input ports 121 and 122.
- MOSFET transistor M 3 assumes the function of a logical inverter for the signal coming from MOSFET transistor M 1 .
- MOSFET transistors M 4 and M 5 can be regarded as a logical AND function for the signals that are present at the drain of MOSFET transistor M 2 and the drain of MOSFET transistor M 3 .
- Each of the five MOSFET transistors 151, 152, 163, 164 and 172 are of enhancement type, which means that the channel between drain (D) and source (S) is completely non-conducting, as long as the control voltage between gate (G) and source stays below a certain threshold of several volts.
- MOSFET transistor 151 will be open, because pull-up resistor 131 will drive its gate-source-voltage to zero. The reason is that no current path exists between the supply voltage +V bat and circuit ground voltage OV. For the same reason MOSFET transistor 152 will be open, since pull-down resistor 132 will drive its gate-source-voltage to zero. With both MOSFET transistors 151 and 152 open, there is no current flowing through the resistors 162 and 161 either, thereby leaving open those MOSFET transistors 163 and 164, because their gate-source-voltages are then driven to zero by resistors 161 and 162, respectively. With MOSFET transistor 163 open, there is no current feeding output resistor 173 so that the output voltage V lead is zero.
- resistors 131, 132 and the electrical conductivity between the two input ports 121 and 122 will form a voltage divider, which will supply both MOSFET transistor 151 and MOSFET transistor 152 with sufficient gate-source-voltage, so as to switch them on.
- Resistor 141 and capacitor 143 represent a low-pass filter, which prevents the MOSFET transistor 151 from turning on and off at random in a noisy environment. The same holds for resistor 142 and capacitor 144 with respect to MOSFET transistor 152. If the first discriminator stage MOSFET transistors 151 or 152 are conducting, this will propagate through the second stage of the discriminator and the output stage of electrical impedance detector 100.
- a data processing device 180 e.g. for data acquisition or analysis
- input ports 121 and 122 If an electrical conductivity is present between the two input ports, their respective voltages act as input for data acquisition or analysis device 180, which evaluates, stores or processes in some other manner the signals picked up by electrodes, sensors, antennas, probes etc. that are connected to the input ports 121, 122.
- data processing devices present high input impedance due to the weak nature of the measured signals. As a consequence, the data processing device 180 does not interfere with the impedance detection performed by the present invention.
- Data processing device 180 is designed for signal processing. It may perform amplification, filtering, level shifting, A/D conversion, memorization etc. Techniques are known to design circuits for 180 for low operating voltage and rail-to-rail amplification.
- Fig. 2B shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this electrical impedance detector the two MOSFET transistors 151 and 152 of the first stage of the discriminator have been replaced with two bipolar transistors 251 and 252. Especially if the supply voltage +V bat is rather low, it can be advisable for the proper operation of the circuit not to have MOSFET transistors in the first stage. In order to have both MOSFET transistors 151 and 152 of the embodiment shown in Fig.
- the embodiment shown in Fig. 2B uses bipolar transistors 251 and 252 instead, which will already turn on at a base-emitter voltage as low as approximately 0.6V. In doing so, it is possible to operate the circuit with a supply voltage of 1.5 V only. This embodiment may also be used if the supply voltage is 3 V, which is the voltage produced by for example two standard AA- or AAA- batteries.
- the output voltage may be used directly to supply for example the data processing device 180 and any other components of the electrical device that are intended to be off when the electrical device is in stand-by mode and on when it is in operating mode.
- the output voltage may also be used as a trigger signal for e.g. power supply control circuitry.
- Fig. 3 shows another possible embodiment of the present invention. In comparison to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2A, the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 has fewer components.
- Fig. 3 shows the circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector 100.
- the input circuits comprising pull-up resistor 131, pull-down resistor 132, low-pass filters (R 3 , C 1 and R 4 , C 2 ) and first stage of discriminator (M 1 , M 2 ) correspond to the ones already described with reference to Fig. 2A.
- the output of MOSFET transistor 152 (M 2 ) which is present at the drain of M 2 , is connected in the same manner as previously to the gate of MOSFET transistor 163 (M 4 ) via resistor 161 (R 5 ).
- MOSFET transistor 151 (M 1 ) does not pass through an inverter anymore. Instead it is directly connected to the source of MOSFET transistor M 4 and to a pull-down resistor 155 (R 15 ).
- This pull-down resistor R 15 assures a defined voltage being present on the connection between drain OfM 1 and source OfM 4 , if neither M 1 nor M 4 are conducting, by taking the voltage at the drain OfM 1 and the source OfM 4 down to ground voltage. The speed of this transient depends mainly on the value of resistor R 15 .
- a logical AND is performed on the output signals of MOSFET transistors M 1 and M 2 . In contrast to the circuit of Fig.
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N-
- the discriminator uses a single N-MOSFET 452 as a switching element.
- this electrical impedance detector differs from the previous in that two diodes 431 are used as a pull-up resistance. It should be noted that in this and following embodiments the number of diodes connected in series could also be three or even more. Their purpose is to create a voltage drop that is sufficiently high so that neither input of the data processing device 180 is tied directly to the full supply voltage or OV. The number of diodes depends on the type of diode that is used. A standard diode exhibits a voltage drop of 40OmV ... 70OmV.
- resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 have the reference signs 432, 442, and 461, respectively.
- capacitor C 2 now having the reference sign 444. Their functions have been described above for similar components.
- Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN- bipolar transistor and two diodes. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 4, except for that a NPN-bipolar transistor 552 is used as a switching element.
- Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P- MOSFET and two diodes. This circuit uses a P-MOSFET 151 and two diodes 632, while its counterpart around MOSFET 152 (see Fig. 1) is omitted.
- the circuitry that makes up the control of the gate voltage of P-MOSFET 151 is basically unchanged with respect to Fig. 2 A.
- Resistor 641 (R 2 ) is part of the low pass filter, and resistor 662 (R 3 ) is the resistor where the output voltage is tapped.
- Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP- bipolar transistor and two diodes. Fig. 7 corresponds to Fig.
- Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N- MOSFET and a zener diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 4, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 831 is used.
- Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN bipolar transistor and a zener diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 5, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 831 is used.
- Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P- MOSFET 651 and a zener diode 1032. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 6, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 1032 is used.
- Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP bipolar transistor 251 and a zener diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 7, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 1032 is used.
- Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one N- MOSFET 452 and a zener diode plus a normal diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 4, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 831 and a diode 1231 in forward direction is used.
- Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one NPN bipolar transistor 552 and a zener diode plus a normal diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 5, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 831 and a diode 1231 in forward direction is used.
- Fig. 14 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one P- MOSFET 151 and a zener diode plus a normal diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 6, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 1032 and a diode 1432 in forward direction is used.
- Fig. 15 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with one PNP bipolar transistor 251 and a zener diode plus a normal diode. This circuit is similar to the one shown in Fig. 7, but instead of two diodes, a zener diode 1032 and a diode 1432 in forward direction is used.
- Fig. 16 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with single n- type transistor discriminator.
- the n-type transistor 152 is the only switching element in this arrangement. It drives resistor 1673, which serves mainly for providing a vertex where the output voltage can be tapped.
- the use of a single transistor in the lead-off circuit presents the following differences to the embodiments using two or more transistors.
- the battery voltage can be reduced, for now it needs only to exceed the threshold voltage of only one transistor.
- Figs. 2A through 3 twice the threshold voltage of one of the transistors was needed.
- the reduction to only one transistor results in a direct power saving.
- the circuit can be realized with only n-type (Fig. 16) or p-type (Fig.
- CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor
- amorphous Si is n-type only, organic TFTs
- p-type or n-type only LTPS saves two mask steps compared to CMOS LTPS.
- large area electronics is manufacturable on flexible substrates, which makes it particularly suitable for applications where conformability is required.
- the circuit of Fig. 16 also leads to lower component count and therefore lower cost and smaller substrate.
- Fig. 17 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with single p- type transistor discriminator. It shows a companion circuit of the one in Fig. 16. A resistor 1775 allows the output voltage to be tapped.
- Fig. 18 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with a discriminator having a single n-type transistor and a diode in reverse direction as pull-up. With respect to Fig. 16, from which it is derived, it presents a diode 1831 which replaces resistor 131. This diode in reverse 1831 acts as a high ohmic resistor.
- Fig. 19 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with a discriminator having one of its input ports connected to the supply voltage.
- the circuit in this figure differs from the ones in Figs. 16 and 18 in that the input port 121 is directly tied to +V bat - It may be used for example in cases, where it is not necessary to measure a bipolar signal at input ports 121 and 122.
- the modified data processing device 181 is capable of handling input signals where one of the input ports is tied to +V bat -
- Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector with a discriminator having one of its input ports connected to the ground voltage.
- the modified data processing device 182 is capable of handling input signals where one of the input ports is tied to OV.
- Fig. 21 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using diodes and field effect transistors instead of resistors.
- Diode 1831 which is connected in reverse direction, is already known from Fig. 18.
- another diode 2132 is also connected in reverse direction from the second input port 122 to ground voltage OV.
- some resistors are replaced by field effect transistors.
- This embodiment and the one shown in Fig. 22 take into account that within large area electronics it is difficult to realize well defined resistors and that sometimes diodes are not available. For these reasons, resistors have been replaced by gate biased field effect transistors 2142, 2173, generally with the gate connected to the +V bat power line.
- the resistance value is defined by choosing the W/L ratio (width/length ratio) of the field effect transistor. In some cases, only a high, but otherwise undefined resistance value is required, e.g. for pull-up or pull-down resistors. In these cases, the corresponding resistors can be replaced by diodes. If diodes are not readily available in the large area electronics technology (e.g. for a-Si and LTPS TFT technology), diodes have been realized as diode connected TFTs. This is shown in Fig. 21 A by the two transistors 2132a. A single transistor 2132a may suffice. It should be noted that these implementations are also applicable to most of the other embodiments described in this application.
- Fig. 22 is a circuit diagram of a variant of the simplified electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 21.
- diode 2132 is replaced by transistor 2232 which is connected as a diode.
- Fig. 23 is a circuit diagram of the simplified electrical impedance detector similar to Fig. 16 wherein a consumer is directly powered.
- the consumer is the data processing device 180.
- discriminator transistor 163 By connecting the data processing device to the power supply via discriminator transistor 163 it is possible to realize a situation where the data processing device is only powered when the discriminator is activated.
- an optional driver is shown. It comprises a field effect transistor 2352 and a resistor 2373. This driver has no negative effect on the zero- power behavior of the circuit.
- Fig. 24 is a circuit diagram of an arrangement of two electrical impedance detectors as shown in Fig. 16 in order to implement an AND combination.
- circuits are proposed for a zero power impedance detector which operates in conjunction with more than one pair of electrodes.
- the embodiments of Figs. 24 through 26 may be used in applications where all electrodes need to be connected in order to obtain a meaningful measurement.
- the known impedance detector is shown in a mirrored fashion. It presents two input ports 2421 (E 3 ) and 2422 (E 4 ).
- Resistors 2431 and 2432 serve as pull-up and pull-down resistor, respectively.
- Data processing device 180 is represented one more time, but it may also be the same as the one on the left side of Fig. 24.
- resistor 2442 and capacitor 2444 form a low pass filter.
- the low pass filter is connected to a field effect transistor 2452, which is connected in series with transistor 152.
- a current can flow through the series connection of resistor 461 and field effect transistors 152 and 2452 only, if both transistors 152 and 2452 are conductive. In this case, an inverted output signal can be obtained at output port 2474.
- Fig. 25 is a circuit diagram similar to the one of Fig. 24 with non inverted output signal.
- the two transistors 152 and 2452 are disposed between +V bat and a resistor 662.
- the non inverted output signal can be observed at output port 2574.
- Fig. 26 is a circuit diagram similar to the one of Fig. 24 supporting multiple inputs. Beneath transistor 2452 Fig. 26 indicates that further impedance detectors may be connected in series with transistors 152 and 2452. Since also the data processing device 180 is part of the series connection, it will be supplied with electrical current if all transistors 152, 2452, etc. are conductive.
- Fig. 27 is a circuit diagram of an arrangement of two electrical impedance detectors shown in Fig. 16 in order to implement an OR combination.
- the circuit is powered up when at least one lead is conductive.
- a second pair of input ports 2721, 2722 is connected to the analysis device 180.
- Input port 2721 is connected to +V bat by means of a resistor 2731.
- Input port 2722 is connected to OV by means of a resistor 2732.
- a low pass filter comprises resistor 2742 and capacitor 2744.
- a transistor 2752 is parallel to transistor 152 so that, if either one is conductive, data processing device 180 is connected to OV, which supplies a current to processing device 180.
- Fig. 28 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector supporting multiple electrode input.
- a multiplicity of electrodes is connected to each of the sensor input points.
- the sensing circuit starts to operate as soon as any conductivity (i.e. an impedance that is low enough) is measured between any of the electrodes connected to the first input point (comprising ports 121 and 2821) and any of the electrodes connected to the second sensor input point (comprising ports 122 and 2822).
- Fig. 29 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector enhanced with multiple-input circuit for arbitrary connection of input sensor pads. In this figure, the basic circuit is enhanced with a switching-array 2920 and a controller 2983.
- the controller takes care that only one of the sensor input pads Sl - S 8 is connected to input port 122 (E 2 ), while one of the others, several or all of the others are connected to 121 (E 1 ). In a certain speed, these connections are rotating. When two arbitrary pads are connected, there will be a timeslot where the detector is activated. Now the controller 2983 stops rotating and circuit 180 can perform the needed signal processing.
- Fig. 30 shows the arrangement of Fig. 29 enhanced with a second electrical impedance detector.
- An example double circuitry is shown, which allows constant looking for the best signal.
- the lower impedance detector is basically identical to the upper impedance detector.
- the circuit comprises a switching-array 3020 and a controller 3083.
- For the lower impedance detector only its input ports 3021 and 3022, as well as its output port 3074 are provided with reference signs.
- the circuit iunctions as follows. As soon as one detector finds a conductivity signal, the switch scanning is stopped. Now the other detector starts scanning and if another active combination is found, its output signal (from processing device 180) is compared with the first one. The best or strongest signal detector now is stopped, and the weakest signal detector continues scanning the input electrodes. Also time difference measurements can be done. Of course, there is no limitation to eight inputs. Electronics for scanning clock signals to drive the switch array can be designed at low power.
- Fig. 31 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using field effect transistors.
- Transistor 3144 acts as a resistor and may influence the threshold of the impedance detector.
- Another transistor 3142 acts as another resistor and may be used to influence the threshold of the impedance detector, as well. Both transistors are connected to +V bat via their respective gates.
- the threshold of the impedance detector may be influenced by choosing the W/L ratio of the transistors accordingly.
- Fig. 32 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using field effect transistors tuneable by external voltage.
- transistors 3242 and 3244 are connected to an external voltage via their respective gates.
- Input port 3223 (V ext ) is connected to the gates of both transistors.
- This embodiment defines a threshold for the impedance detector that is adjustable. Of course, each transistor could also be controlled by an individual external voltage.
- Fig. 33 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting a definable threshold. In this embodiment, a circuit is proposed which provides for a definable threshold of impedance, where the circuit becomes activated. The threshold is defined by the ratio of two resistors 142, 3344 at the input of the discriminator. Again, the variable resistor could be realized as a transistor with defined gate voltage. An additional requirement is that the two resistors 142 and 3344 have to be high ohmic.
- Fig. 34 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting an adjustable threshold.
- An adjustable voltage divider is formed by resistors 3442 and 3444, both of which are adjustable.
- the voltage divider is arranged between the discriminator and an output stage comprising a transistor 3452 and a resistor 3473.
- the threshold may be adjusted for example by means of one or two appropriate control knobs.
- Fig. 35 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector presenting a variable threshold.
- the two adjustable resistors have been replaced by field effect transistors 3542 and 3544. This makes it possible to program the threshold during the operation of the device in order to adapt it to changing conditions.
- the gates of the field effect transistor would have to be connected to e.g. a microcontroller (not shown).
- Fig. 36 is a variant of the electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 35. Instead of using a voltage divider, resistor 173 of Fig. 35 is replaced by two field effect transistors 3573. The ratio of the transistors' threshold determines the threshold of the circuit.
- Fig. 37 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using only diodes and capacitors.
- a zero-power impedance detector is realized using only diodes as an active element. Diodes are easier to fabricate than transistors in large area electronics, making this embodiment potentially lower cost.
- Two diodes 3752 replace a transistor. A single diode is also possible.
- the output voltage is maintained by a capacitor 3773. If there is a conductivity present between input ports 121 and 122, then input port 122 will assume a potential that is equal to the reverse bias voltage of diode 3731. Typically, this voltage is higher than twice the forward bias voltage as exhibited by the two diodes 3752.
- Fig. 38 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector using a single diode and capacitor.
- a diode 3852 charges a series capacitor 3773, causing output voltage V 0 to increase and activating any equipment connected to output 174.
- the analysis device is capable of determining the turn-off situation and is able to reset the capacitor 3773 to OV if a standby situation is detected.
- Fig. 39 shows a modification of the electrical impedance detector shown in Fig. 3.
- the two discriminator transistors 151, 152 are now connected in series, together with a resistor 3955.
- the output stage evaluates the current flowing through resistor 3955. A sufficiently high current flowing through resistor 3955 will cause the output stage to generate a "high" signal at output port 174.
- Fig. 40 is a circuit diagram of an electrical impedance detector employing a second battery and a NPN-bipolar transistor.
- the first battery 4001 provides the supply voltage for the impedance detector.
- the second battery 4002 is connected in series with the first battery. The series connection of the first and the second battery presents a higher voltage which may be required for the operation of the processing device 180.
- the second battery 4002 is not important for the proper operation of the impedance detector. Therefore, it can be switched on in order to power part 180 only after a conductivity condition was detected, such that the whole circuit can still fulfill the aim of being zero-power while in standby.
- Figs. 41 through 43 show similar embodiments as Fig. 40, employing a first battery 4001, a second battery 4002 and an N-MOSFET transistor 452, a PNP-bipolar transistor 251, and a P-MOSFET transistor 151, respectively.
- the present invention has been represented and described herein in what are considered to be the most practical embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Biophysics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Vascular Medicine (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Surgery (AREA)
- Measurement Of Current Or Voltage (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Electric Means (AREA)
- Measurement And Recording Of Electrical Phenomena And Electrical Characteristics Of The Living Body (AREA)
- Measurement Of Resistance Or Impedance (AREA)
- Electronic Switches (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BRPI0607425-1A BRPI0607425A2 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | fixture and impedance detector for use in an fixture |
EP20060710995 EP1856544A1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | Low power standby mode monitor |
JP2007557656A JP2008536460A (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | Zero power standby mode monitoring device |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP05101579 | 2005-03-02 | ||
EP05101579.0 | 2005-03-02 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2006092767A1 true WO2006092767A1 (en) | 2006-09-08 |
Family
ID=36577344
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2006/050636 WO2006092766A2 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | Low power standby mode monitor |
PCT/IB2006/050638 WO2006092767A1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | Zero power standby mode monitor |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2006/050636 WO2006092766A2 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2006-03-01 | Low power standby mode monitor |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080195169A1 (en) |
EP (2) | EP1856545A2 (en) |
JP (2) | JP2008531174A (en) |
KR (1) | KR20070106538A (en) |
CN (2) | CN101133335A (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0607425A2 (en) |
RU (1) | RU2007136279A (en) |
WO (2) | WO2006092766A2 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2007093075A3 (en) * | 2007-06-12 | 2008-03-20 | Phonak Ag | Hearing instrument and input method for a hearing instrument |
EP2028498A2 (en) | 2007-08-14 | 2009-02-25 | Fluke Corporation | Systems and methods for an open circuit current limiter |
EP2374500A1 (en) * | 2006-04-28 | 2011-10-12 | Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. | Method and Apparatus to provide Safety Checks for Neural Stimulation |
CN108631762A (en) * | 2017-03-15 | 2018-10-09 | 台湾类比科技股份有限公司 | Touch-control system for waterproof |
Families Citing this family (53)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6831494B1 (en) * | 2003-05-16 | 2004-12-14 | Transmeta Corporation | Voltage compensated integrated circuits |
US8784336B2 (en) | 2005-08-24 | 2014-07-22 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Stylet apparatuses and methods of manufacture |
US8388546B2 (en) | 2006-10-23 | 2013-03-05 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Method of locating the tip of a central venous catheter |
US7794407B2 (en) | 2006-10-23 | 2010-09-14 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Method of locating the tip of a central venous catheter |
CN101801480A (en) | 2007-09-20 | 2010-08-11 | 皇家飞利浦电子股份有限公司 | The feedback device that is used to play |
US8849382B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2014-09-30 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Apparatus and display methods relating to intravascular placement of a catheter |
WO2009070616A2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2009-06-04 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Integrated system for intravascular placement of a catheter |
US8781555B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2014-07-15 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | System for placement of a catheter including a signal-generating stylet |
US10449330B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2019-10-22 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Magnetic element-equipped needle assemblies |
US10524691B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2020-01-07 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Needle assembly including an aligned magnetic element |
US10751509B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2020-08-25 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Iconic representations for guidance of an indwelling medical device |
US9521961B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2016-12-20 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Systems and methods for guiding a medical instrument |
US9649048B2 (en) | 2007-11-26 | 2017-05-16 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Systems and methods for breaching a sterile field for intravascular placement of a catheter |
US9901714B2 (en) | 2008-08-22 | 2018-02-27 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Catheter assembly including ECG sensor and magnetic assemblies |
US8437833B2 (en) | 2008-10-07 | 2013-05-07 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Percutaneous magnetic gastrostomy |
US9125578B2 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2015-09-08 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Apparatus and method for catheter navigation and tip location |
WO2010144922A1 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2010-12-16 | Romedex International Srl | Catheter tip positioning method |
US9532724B2 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2017-01-03 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Apparatus and method for catheter navigation using endovascular energy mapping |
JP5321330B2 (en) * | 2009-08-03 | 2013-10-23 | 株式会社リコー | Overvoltage protection circuit |
WO2011019760A2 (en) | 2009-08-10 | 2011-02-17 | Romedex International Srl | Devices and methods for endovascular electrography |
WO2011041450A1 (en) | 2009-09-29 | 2011-04-07 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Stylets for use with apparatus for intravascular placement of a catheter |
US9492096B2 (en) * | 2009-11-03 | 2016-11-15 | Vivaquant Llc | ECG sensing apparatuses, systems and methods |
US9314181B2 (en) | 2009-11-03 | 2016-04-19 | Vivaquant Llc | Method and apparatus for detection of heartbeat characteristics |
EP2575610B1 (en) | 2010-05-28 | 2022-10-05 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Insertion guidance system for needles and medical components |
WO2011150376A1 (en) | 2010-05-28 | 2011-12-01 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Apparatus for use with needle insertion guidance system |
US20120046562A1 (en) | 2010-08-20 | 2012-02-23 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Reconfirmation of ecg-assisted catheter tip placement |
CN101983612B (en) * | 2010-09-30 | 2013-01-23 | 深圳市理邦精密仪器股份有限公司 | Sleep and wake-up method of ECG acquisition device and ECG acquisition device |
WO2012058461A1 (en) | 2010-10-29 | 2012-05-03 | C.R.Bard, Inc. | Bioimpedance-assisted placement of a medical device |
CN102068247B (en) * | 2011-01-27 | 2013-04-03 | 深圳市理邦精密仪器股份有限公司 | Method and device for carrying out ECG (Electrocardiograph) lead-off detection |
WO2012168912A1 (en) * | 2011-06-10 | 2012-12-13 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for selecting differential input leads |
JP6008960B2 (en) | 2011-07-06 | 2016-10-19 | シー・アール・バード・インコーポレーテッドC R Bard Incorporated | Needle length determination and calibration for insertion guidance systems |
KR101998066B1 (en) * | 2012-11-23 | 2019-10-01 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Signal processing device without mechanical switch for on/off operation |
DE102013019648B4 (en) * | 2013-11-22 | 2019-04-04 | Diehl Ako Stiftung & Co. Kg | Input device for an electronic household appliance |
EP3073910B1 (en) | 2014-02-06 | 2020-07-15 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Systems for guidance and placement of an intravascular device |
EP2933646B1 (en) * | 2014-04-17 | 2019-04-17 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Precision measurement of voltage drop across a semiconductor switching element |
CN104000582A (en) * | 2014-05-04 | 2014-08-27 | 山东中医药大学 | Lead falling detection device for electrocardiogram monitoring device |
JP2016059772A (en) * | 2014-09-22 | 2016-04-25 | フクダ電子株式会社 | Electrophysiological study apparatus |
EP3207720B1 (en) * | 2014-10-15 | 2019-01-09 | Widex A/S | Method of operating a hearing aid system and a hearing aid system |
CN104378475A (en) * | 2014-12-01 | 2015-02-25 | 凤阳广农信息科技有限公司 | Mobile phone with function of H2 concentration detection |
US10973584B2 (en) | 2015-01-19 | 2021-04-13 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Device and method for vascular access |
WO2016134473A1 (en) | 2015-02-27 | 2016-09-01 | Icentia Inc. | Wearable physiological data acquirer and methods of using same |
US10349890B2 (en) | 2015-06-26 | 2019-07-16 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Connector interface for ECG-based catheter positioning system |
CN105266795A (en) * | 2015-11-05 | 2016-01-27 | 北京众云在线科技有限公司 | Dynamic electrocardiosignal acquisition device |
KR101606490B1 (en) | 2016-01-19 | 2016-03-25 | 주식회사 새광이엔지 | Device for testing electromagnetic interference resistance and current flow |
US11000207B2 (en) | 2016-01-29 | 2021-05-11 | C. R. Bard, Inc. | Multiple coil system for tracking a medical device |
KR101793698B1 (en) * | 2017-01-11 | 2017-11-03 | 주식회사 모스트파워 | Apparatus for Phase Control and Method for Phase Control Using the Apparatus |
CN107050640B (en) * | 2017-05-18 | 2023-09-26 | 广州市驰海电子有限公司 | Physiotherapy health care instrument |
US11103145B1 (en) | 2017-06-14 | 2021-08-31 | Vivaquant Llc | Physiological signal monitoring and apparatus therefor |
CN108663596A (en) * | 2018-05-14 | 2018-10-16 | 无锡商业职业技术学院 | A kind of wearable ECG lead-fail detector detection device and detection method |
CN108888262B (en) * | 2018-08-04 | 2023-08-04 | 福州大学 | Alternating current lead falling detection circuit and method for double-electrode electrocardio acquisition system |
US10992079B2 (en) | 2018-10-16 | 2021-04-27 | Bard Access Systems, Inc. | Safety-equipped connection systems and methods thereof for establishing electrical connections |
US11931142B1 (en) | 2019-03-19 | 2024-03-19 | VIVAQUANT, Inc | Apneic/hypopneic assessment via physiological signals |
EP4190241A1 (en) * | 2021-12-06 | 2023-06-07 | Draeger Medical Systems, Inc. | Complete ecg contact impedance determination |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2048136A1 (en) * | 1970-09-30 | 1972-04-06 | Siemens Ag | Electronic push button switch for telecommunications, in particular telephone systems |
GB1451445A (en) * | 1972-07-31 | 1976-10-06 | Hughes Microelectronics Ltd | Touch plate switch arrangements |
US4160923A (en) * | 1975-02-05 | 1979-07-10 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches |
US4207479A (en) * | 1976-06-24 | 1980-06-10 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Touch sensitive switch arrangement with an I2 L structure |
US5844204A (en) * | 1993-09-24 | 1998-12-01 | Seb S.A. | Device for detection of electric current by micro-leakage |
Family Cites Families (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4140131A (en) * | 1976-11-03 | 1979-02-20 | Medtronic, Inc. | Body tissue stimulation apparatus with warning device |
US5476485A (en) * | 1993-09-21 | 1995-12-19 | Pacesetter, Inc. | Automatic implantable pulse generator |
US6490486B1 (en) * | 2000-04-27 | 2002-12-03 | Pacesetter, Inc. | Implantable cardiac stimulation device and method that monitors displacement of an implanted lead |
US7065403B1 (en) * | 2001-12-03 | 2006-06-20 | Pacesetter, Inc. | System and method for measuring lead impedance in an implantable stimulation device employing pulse-train waveforms |
US6978178B2 (en) * | 2002-04-30 | 2005-12-20 | Medtronic, Inc. | Method and apparatus for selecting an optimal electrode configuration of a medical electrical lead having a multiple electrode array |
US7047083B2 (en) * | 2002-09-30 | 2006-05-16 | Medtronic, Inc. | Method and apparatus for identifying lead-related conditions using lead impedance measurements |
US7031773B1 (en) * | 2003-01-10 | 2006-04-18 | Pacesetter, Inc. | Implantable cardiac stimulation system providing autocapture and lead impedance assessment and method |
US7751891B2 (en) * | 2004-07-28 | 2010-07-06 | Cyberonics, Inc. | Power supply monitoring for an implantable device |
US7200442B1 (en) * | 2004-09-10 | 2007-04-03 | Pacesetter, Inc. | Implantable cardiac device with impedance monitoring control and method |
US7308310B1 (en) * | 2005-01-26 | 2007-12-11 | Pacesetter, Inc. | Implantable cardiac stimulation device providing bipolar autocapture and lead impedance assessment and method |
-
2006
- 2006-03-01 CN CNA200680006733XA patent/CN101133335A/en active Pending
- 2006-03-01 EP EP20060727645 patent/EP1856545A2/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-03-01 EP EP20060710995 patent/EP1856544A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-03-01 KR KR1020077019736A patent/KR20070106538A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-03-01 JP JP2007557655A patent/JP2008531174A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-03-01 RU RU2007136279/28A patent/RU2007136279A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-03-01 WO PCT/IB2006/050636 patent/WO2006092766A2/en active Application Filing
- 2006-03-01 WO PCT/IB2006/050638 patent/WO2006092767A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-03-01 JP JP2007557656A patent/JP2008536460A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-03-01 CN CNA2006800066214A patent/CN101133334A/en active Pending
- 2006-03-01 BR BRPI0607425-1A patent/BRPI0607425A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-03-01 US US11/817,235 patent/US20080195169A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2048136A1 (en) * | 1970-09-30 | 1972-04-06 | Siemens Ag | Electronic push button switch for telecommunications, in particular telephone systems |
GB1451445A (en) * | 1972-07-31 | 1976-10-06 | Hughes Microelectronics Ltd | Touch plate switch arrangements |
US4160923A (en) * | 1975-02-05 | 1979-07-10 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches |
US4207479A (en) * | 1976-06-24 | 1980-06-10 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Touch sensitive switch arrangement with an I2 L structure |
US5844204A (en) * | 1993-09-24 | 1998-12-01 | Seb S.A. | Device for detection of electric current by micro-leakage |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2374500A1 (en) * | 2006-04-28 | 2011-10-12 | Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. | Method and Apparatus to provide Safety Checks for Neural Stimulation |
WO2007093075A3 (en) * | 2007-06-12 | 2008-03-20 | Phonak Ag | Hearing instrument and input method for a hearing instrument |
US8437488B2 (en) | 2007-06-12 | 2013-05-07 | Phonak Ag | Hearing instrument and input method for a hearing instrument |
EP2028498A2 (en) | 2007-08-14 | 2009-02-25 | Fluke Corporation | Systems and methods for an open circuit current limiter |
EP2028498A3 (en) * | 2007-08-14 | 2013-05-01 | Fluke Corporation | Systems and methods for an open circuit current limiter |
US9116177B2 (en) | 2007-08-14 | 2015-08-25 | Fluke Corporation | Systems and methods for an open circuit current limiter |
CN108631762A (en) * | 2017-03-15 | 2018-10-09 | 台湾类比科技股份有限公司 | Touch-control system for waterproof |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20080195169A1 (en) | 2008-08-14 |
CN101133335A (en) | 2008-02-27 |
BRPI0607425A2 (en) | 2010-04-06 |
WO2006092766A3 (en) | 2006-11-23 |
CN101133334A (en) | 2008-02-27 |
EP1856544A1 (en) | 2007-11-21 |
JP2008531174A (en) | 2008-08-14 |
RU2007136279A (en) | 2009-04-10 |
EP1856545A2 (en) | 2007-11-21 |
WO2006092766A2 (en) | 2006-09-08 |
KR20070106538A (en) | 2007-11-01 |
JP2008536460A (en) | 2008-09-04 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
WO2006092767A1 (en) | Zero power standby mode monitor | |
CN107195264B (en) | Optical detector and its driving method, display panel and display device | |
CN207458027U (en) | With the circuit that touch panel is used together | |
US11123231B2 (en) | Diaper with wet diaper monitoring device | |
US20090194341A1 (en) | Method and device for operating a resistive touch input component as a proximity sensor | |
CN106662899A (en) | Integrated piezoelectric cantilever actuator and transistor for touch input and haptic feedback applications | |
SE0302711D0 (en) | Touch sensitive display device | |
TW200719316A (en) | Sensing circuit and display device having the same | |
US20060097731A1 (en) | Accurate and efficient sensing method for bi-directional signals | |
JP2009528519A5 (en) | ||
CN102257553A (en) | An OLED device and an electronic circuit | |
US9778799B2 (en) | Capacitive sensing circuit for multi-touch panel, and multi-touch sensing device having same | |
CN100550634C (en) | A kind of control board transducer and display device | |
CN101667823B (en) | Inductive backlight key circuit | |
CN105078439A (en) | Display device, heart rate monitoring system and heart rate monitoring method | |
KR100642497B1 (en) | electrical touch sensor | |
CN105719436B (en) | A kind of intelligent mobile terminal and its pernicious gas detect based reminding method | |
CN107591433B (en) | Display panel, pressure detection method of pressure detection circuit of display panel and display device | |
CN100511745C (en) | Apparatus for a high output sensor signal and manufacturing method thereof | |
TWI317428B (en) | Current sensing circuit and power supply using the same | |
CN204931663U (en) | Display device, heart rate monitoring system | |
CN202841637U (en) | Applicable lamp | |
CN2192893Y (en) | Wrist belt base with display device | |
KR20190000222A (en) | Ambipolar transistor and electronic sensor of high sensitivity using thereof | |
US6977648B1 (en) | System and method for providing back-lighting to a keypad |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2006710995 Country of ref document: EP |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 1020077019736 Country of ref document: KR |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2007557656 Country of ref document: JP Ref document number: 200680006733.X Country of ref document: CN |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 4293/CHENP/2007 Country of ref document: IN |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: RU |
|
WWW | Wipo information: withdrawn in national office |
Ref document number: RU |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 2006710995 Country of ref document: EP |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: PI0607425 Country of ref document: BR Kind code of ref document: A2 |